Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any unilateral shift in Pakistan's Kashmir policy, saying both New Delhi and Islamabad would have to show flexibility to resolve the issue for peace in South Asia.

"There is no question of unilateral shift in Pakistan's position on the Kashmir issue. It has to be mutual," Musharraf told the editors of leading Turkish newspapers in Istanbul yesterday (Jan 21, 2004) at the conclusion of his Turkey visit.

To a question, the President clarified that he had never said Pakistan would give up its principled stand on Kashmir and added that his remarks were quoted out of context.

"We have a stand (on Kashmir). I have always been saying that if we want to go for a solution, ultimately we have to show flexibility," he said.

Musharraf stressed that both Pakistan and India would have to go beyond their stated positions. "Both of us have to do that."

However, he made it clear that if anyone was expecting that Pakistan is going to leave its old position and India does not leave its stand. "I am afraid that is not reality."

Musharraf said that both Pakistan and India "ought to be bold enough to move beyond their stated positions and show flexibility if we want to reach any conclusion".

There has to be mutual flexibility, the President said adding, "Otherwise we are not going to reach any conclusion."

Replying to a question, Musharraf said he described his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Islamabad as "historic" as for the first time Kashmir has been accepted as an issue, which needs to be resolved.

In the past meetings between the leaders of the two countries, never had Kashmir been accepted as an issue, he added.

Musharraf said both sides reached a written agreement in which Kashmir was accepted as an issue.

The President also said the two countries must initiate composite dialogue process, which must include all issues including Kashmir.